BUTTE - A state-owned property in south Butte is still being considered as one of the locations for the new women’s prison, but city officials want the state to know that many people in the mining city want the state to look somewhere else.
“That’s been a challenge, because most of the feedback that we’ve got has been negative and not wanting a women’s prison here,” Butte Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher said.
WATCH: Butte officials reluctantly consider hosting new $220 million Montana women's prison
Earlier this year, the Montana Department of Corrections announced it was seeking a location for a new $220 million women’s prison. Recently, the DOC asked cities being considered or interested in hosting the prison to submit a request for information to be submitted by Oct. 16th. The Butte Council of Commissioners agreed to provide the state information, but without enthusiasm for the project.
“We’re going to respond with as much data as we can to let them know what we know about our community, but for them, they need to come back and find out what the community support is,” Gallagher said.
The Department of Corrections is considering several locations and has made no decision. Butte officials say the 400-bed facility would put a strain on some of Butte's infrastructure.
“We don’t have sewage capacity to put a facility this size in there, so there would have to be improvements made to the sewer system,” he said.
There’s also concern a new prison would draw from the Butte Detention Center staff, which is already low.
“And knowing the difficulties we’ve had to keep correction officers just in our jail, we know we’d have that same strain if the prison were to come here,” Gallagher said.
Gallagher says there are some positives, including it being a large construction project and new jobs. However, they’ve heard many people say they don’t want Butte to be a prison town.